Special Events

Queen Pageant

Competing in the Indiana State Fair Queen Pageant

Contestants: The Indiana State Fair Queen Pageant contestants are winners of their own county fair Queen Pageants. Therefore, an average of 88 county queens gather in Indianapolis each August to compete for the title of Miss Indiana State Fair. Contestants must be at least 16 years old and must not have reached her 21st birthday as of the first day of the Indiana State Fair Queen Pageant.

Crowning the 2006 Indiana State Fair Queen Requirements: A complete set of rules can be found in the Indiana State Fair Queen Pageant Terms and Conditions Brochure available from our Marketing Department.

Counties may select a queen/representative in any manner they choose, provided that young lady complies with the Indiana State Fair Queen Pageant rules in order to compete in the State contest. Some require their county contestants to be 4-H members; some do not. 4-H is NOT a requirement at the State level. Please contact your county extension office about entering your county Queen Pageant.

Pageant Judging: Each year, three judges are given the task of selecting the next Indiana State Fair Queen. Each contestant goes through preliminary judging in three categories - Interview, Professional Wear and Evening Gown.

After the preliminary judging at the host hotel, the judges determine the Top Ten Finalists, which are announced at the public pageant on Sunday afternoon, the final day of the Indiana State Fair. During the public contest here at the Fairgrounds, the Top Ten Finalists are then re-judged in Professional Wear and Evening Gown, a category that also includes an on-stage question to answer. (The preliminary Interview scores are kept the same, as there is not time to re-interview the Top Ten Finalists.)

From this second judging, the Indiana State Fair Queen and her Court (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Runners-Up) are determined. Miss Congeniality is also announced, as voted by the contestants.

The new Queen reigns for the next twelve months, promoting the Indiana State Fair the following summer throughout the state. For example, on the final day of the 2007 Indiana State Fair, the 2007 Queen crowned the 2008 Miss Indiana State Fair. That young lady will reign for one year - which includes the summer and State Fair of 2008 - before passing her crown to the 2009 Queen.